Broken Souls
by Allison Argent-Winchester
Summary: The Winchesters used to make periodic trips to Mystic Falls to check up on the supernatural activity there, but after John's death the trips became forgotten. But now that the business with the Other Side has come to light, the Winchesters have decided to take a long overdue trip to Mystic Falls. Set in S4 of SPN and S5 of TVD.
1. Prologue

It's been years since they've seen each other, years since she's smiled in that bright and innocent way and years since his eyes have sparked in that playfully happy way. The world has broken them, torn them apart for nothing other than twisted amusement. They hide behind smiles that are the ghosts of what they once were, they disguise the shards of their soul and pretend to be while and happy. But one broken soul always recognizes another, no matter the disguise and that's how it is with them.

He's different, she's different. Everything's changed, _he's_ changed, and yet somehow seeing him, she feels as though she's found the one person who can truly understand her. He's a hunter, bent on ridding the world of monsters like her, but somehow she can't believe that he'd hurt her. There's an emptiness in his eyes, a haunted look that wasn't there before, but sometimes she'll catch a glimpse of that spark in them that she used to love so much.

He's been to hell and back, she's been to the Other Side at least twice now. She understands what it's like to die, she knows what it is to mourn. She's a vampire, a bloodsucking monster of the night, yet somehow he can't bring himself to care. Sometimes he can still see that innocence that drew him to her in the first place, sometimes she smiles and he remembers the girl he loved.

They're both broken, shattered into a million pieces and clumsily put back together again. The spark has faded from his eyes, the innocence has been stripped away from her smile. Two broken and tarnished souls, but when they're together somehow they feel less broken, less damaged. And in a world that's falling apart around them, that's what really matters.


	2. Chapter 1

_Flashback_

_Dean scowled slightly at Sammy, who was complaining yet again about having to drive all the way to Virginia. He wasn't all that thrilled either, especially since their previous location had been in Pennsylvania which meant hours upon hours of driving. But he knew better than to vocalize it, especially when their dad was already in a mood from spending hours in a car with a cranky twelve year old. Dean had offered to drive, but his dad had been very clear in that he would be the only one driving and that it was Dean's job to look after Sam and keep him from driving everyone crazy. So far Dean hadn't really had all that much success, twelve year olds were naturally pains in the ass but Sammy was less than thrilled about having to drive all the way to Virginia which made him doubly troublesome. Right now he was stuck in the frame of mind that if he continuously kept asking 'are we there yet?' that miraculously they would somehow get there faster. _

_Twisting around in his seat, Dean leveled his best stern glare at his little brother. "No, and we won't be there for another two hours so shut up, Sammy," he answered, cringing slightly at the warning look that his dad shot him when he turned back around. It wasn't like his dad was thinking anything different and if he hadn't shut Sam up then there was no doubt that their dad would have, so why did he get in trouble? He refused to pout like Sam was doing right now in the back seat, but Dean wasn't above shifting so that he was staring out the window and resolutely ignoring the other occupants of the car. Sometimes he wondered what it would be like, to be an actual family, not that there was really anything wrong with his family, but sometimes he wished that they had a home to go back to after a hunt and such. But his dad knew what he was doing, of that Dean was sure, and they were making a difference in the world, saving people and stuff, not to mention that it was kind of cool some of the stuff they got to do. Mainly he worried about Sammy, who seemed to grow more and more disenchanted with the hunting life the older that he got. He didn't remember their mom, so he didn't fully understand the drive behind their dad's actions, hell Dean barely understood the drive but he didn't have to. Glancing back to his little brother, Dean offered him a half smile and was relieved when Sam returned it after a moment of hesitation. It didn't matter what their life was like, he'd take care of Sammy regardless and sooner or later he'd understand why they did what they did._

_He must have dozed off because the next thing he knew, the car was stopping at a small motel inside what he assumed was Mystic Falls. Dean glanced back at Sammy, somewhat relieved to find him passed out on the window and not still sulking. Climbing out of the car with his dad, he looked to him for some kind of plan. Most likely he and Sam would stay holed up in this motel while their dad conducted whatever business had brought him here and then they'd all hit the road again._

_"Stay with Sam, I'll check us in then you two stay at the motel for a while. Understand?" John ordered, already striding away towards the office. Nodding even though his dad had already turned away, Dean rapped on the back window of the Impala where his brother was currently resting. Sam jumped, startled by the sudden noise though when he realized that it was just his older brother he rolled his eyes and slumped back into his seat. Opening the door, Dean leaned against the top of it and grinned down at his little brother, in a better mood now that he'd napped and they'd reached their destination._

_"Come on, Sammy, up and at 'em. Dad's getting us a room you can nap in there," he said, stepping back to allow his brother out of the car. Sam climbed out grudgingly, rubbing his eyes sleepily and shooting Dean a half hearted glare. Dean just grinned in response and ruffled Sam's hair, ignoring the grumbling and swat that he received in retaliation. It was times like these that he actually felt a little like a normal kid, teasing his little brother while on a family road trip. He knew that Sam often wished that they were a normal family, but despite the occasional wishful thought Dean really didn't mind this life. It was his responsibility to protect his brother and how was he supposed to do that if he didn't know about the monsters that would hunt him? How could he keep Sam safe if he didn't know how to fight the monsters?_

_"Sam, Dean, let's move," their father's stern voice snapped Dean out of his reverie and he immediately moved to obey. Sam lingered by the car for just a brief second longer until Dean shot him a warning look and he followed glumly after. "Room 305, you boys go on ahead. I'm going to check something out in town but I should be back for dinner," John said, handing one of the room keys to Dean. Pocketing the key, Dean nodded to show he understood and replied, "Yes sir." Sam just stared at the ground and didn't reply, after a brief glance at his youngest son John headed back to the Impala and drove away. The two boys watched their father drive off, Dean with fatigue, pride, and a little disappointment and Sam with tiredness, resignation, and a little irritation._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4 hours later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_"Dean, I'm hungry. When will Dad be back?" Sam asked, lying on the bed and flipping randomly through the TV channels. Dean bit back an irritated sigh and restrained himself from snapping at Sam, who had been asking the same question, or variations of it, for the past two and a half hours. "I don't know, Sam. He'll be back soon, it's almost dinner and he said he'd be back," he answered, flipping through the pages in their dad's journal. Ever since the disaster of the Shtriga attack almost three years ago, Dean had been reading up on everything that their dad encountered and wrote about. He was determined not to fail his dad and brother again, the memory of that horrible creature leaning over the helpless form of his baby brother still haunted him. The disappointed and angry look that his father had shot him and the beating that had followed also haunted him but not as much as the fear of losing Sammy did. Not completely satisfied with his brother's answer, Sam rolled over and muttered something under his breath that Dean couldn't quite catch but sounded an still lot like 'Christmas'. He decided not to comment, both because he didn't have the energy or the desire to argue with his brother right now and also because a small part of him actually agreed with Sammy._

_Fortunately just as Sam opened his mouth, no doubt to ask again and, God this was like 'are we there yet' all over again, their father chose that moment to enter the motel room. Scrambling to his feet, Dean grinned widely, relieved that his father had actually followed through with his plans this time and proved to Sam that he wasn't unreliable. Sam followed his lead, switching off the TV and standing with a surprised look on his face as though he'd actually expected their dad to bail. "Dad!" Dean exclaimed, eyes flickering quickly over him to verify and check for injuries. "How'd it go?" he asked, already knowing that his dad would be reluctant to go into details with Sam listening. "Fine," was the answer, though it was delivered in an almost distracted manner. "You boys ready to eat?" John asked instead, effectively distracting Dean and Sam from asking anymore questions._

_The Mystic Grill, though an extremely unimaginative name considering the name of the town, actually looked like a pretty decent restaurant much better than the usual greasy fast food. Sam in particular looked pleased with the food arrangements, scanning the menu with a look of childish excitement that Dean hadn't seen on his brother's face for a while. Ordering their food took a fair while since Sammy couldn't seem to decide what exactly he wanted to eat and honestly after almost a week of nothing but burgers, fries, and pizza, Dean couldn't blame him. But when they'd finally ordered, Sam turned very serious eyes to his father and asked the question that both he and Dean had been wondering. "How long are we staying here?" he asked, and Dean turned involuntarily to watch his father's reaction. It was hard to guess what his father's reactions would be a lot of times, especially when it came to that question. If the hunt was particularly frustrating or bloody, then he'd usually snap out his answer angrily and even though Dean knew that the frustration wasn't directed towards them but towards the hunt sometimes Sammy had a hard time realizing that. But if the hunt was easy or if they weren't going to stay very long at all, then John usually replied more gently especially since he knew how much Sam hated moving around and never settling in one place long enough to make friends._

_This time though, their dad merely shrugged and replied casually, "I'm not sure, another day maybe two. It shouldn't be too long though." Sam just nodded and turned his frowning gaze to the table then started tracing random designs into the wood with his finger. Not exactly sure of what to say to break the silence, and not exactly sure that he wanted to, Dean contented himself with studying the other occupants of the restaurant. There was a couple on the other side of the room, a man sitting by himself at the bar, two girls taking shots and whispering about the man a few seats down, and another family having dinner. It was the family that caught his attention though, because the contrast between his and theirs was so startling. For one there were two parents, not just a dad, and they were both smiling and laughing at something that the older of the two kids was saying. The younger kid, who looked about nine or ten, was staring wide eyed at his sister and Dean was suddenly reminded of a younger Sammy listening in fascination to some of the bedtime stories Dean used to tell him at night to help him sleep without their dad there. The other kid was a girl, one who looked to be about Sam's age, so eleven or twelve, and from the way that her hands were gesturing wildly and the exaggerated facial expressions she was making, Dean guessed that she was telling a story. She was pretty in that little girl way, with smooth dark hair and dark skin that looked almost golden in the dim light of the restaurant. Dean imagined that that would be what his family would have looked like if the Yellow Eyed Demon hadn't of killed his mom and destroyed their lives. He could picture his mom, her face had grown a little fuzzy over the years but he could still see her warm smile, and his dad would be happier like that man was since he never would have known about demons and evil creatures. Then Sammy would still have that child-like wonder about him, wondering about fairytales and being afraid of the dark but without actually knowing what monsters the dark really hid. And he, Dean Winchester, wouldn't be any more responsible for his brother than a typical sibling was, he could go to school and make friends and tell funny stories to his brother and parents like that girl was._

_Caught up in his thoughts, Dean almost didn't notice that she'd finished her story and, seeming to feel his gaze on her, had turned to look at him. Her eyes were as dark as her hair and they were wide and innocent looking in a way that his hadn't been for years. She just stared at him for a moment and he at her until her face broke into a smile that was as bright and innocent as her eyes and he looked away quickly. Neither of their families had noticed their interaction, and all through dinner he couldn't help but sneak glances at her even though she never looked back._

_End Flashback_

"Dean!" Sam's concerned voice shook him out of the memories of their first trip to Mystic Falls. "Dean are you OK?" he asked, shooting his brother a worried look. They were standing outside of the ashes and ruins of what used to be known as the Mystic Grill, though the owner when they'd interviewed him had assured them that it was in the process of being rebuilt.

"Yeah," Dean replied quickly, clearing his throat slightly before repeating, "Yeah, I'm fine. So what are we thinking, just some kind of terrorist bombing or supernatural?" His first impression was to think terrorist, after all from what they're gathered it was an actual bomb that had destroyed the building but in their line of work you could never be too careful, not to mention that this was Mystic Falls, voted top supernatural hotspot of the year.

"Honestly? I don't know," Sam admitted with a frown as he studied the ruins in front of them. "I do think we should check it out though, even if this isn't in our line of work there's plenty in this town that is," he added. According to the reports they'd heard, Mystic Falls had been plagued by supernatural entities and most of the happenings had occurred within the past three years or so. Rumors of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, demons, witches, and various other supernatural creatures were abundant in the past couple of years. So many in fact that Dean was actually kind of surprised that people still lived in this town, he'd have expected them to all have been killed or have moved out by now.

Sam was right though, even if this turned out to be a bust there was definitely enough evidence to point to a job in this town. Which Dean had mixed feelings about, on one hand he would take great pleasure in making Mystic Falls safe again and perhaps even running into a certain brunette again but on the other he was absolutely terrified of running into said brunette. Ridiculous as it made him feel to admit it, the chance of seeing Elena again scared him more than any ghost or vampire he might encounter here. Regardless of how he felt though, there was definitely a job to do here and it was his duty to see it through, besides it'd been years since he'd last seen her she probably didn't even remember him. Clapping Sam on the shoulder, Dean grinned at his brother and glanced once more at the sad remains of the Mystic Grill. "Well Sammy, looks like we'll have to find somewhere else to eat tonight," he joked.

**A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I'm so excited that I actually had a review already! Thanks so much for your encouragement, bulldozed88 and yes this will be a Dean/Elena story. (: This is my first time writing fanfiction so I'd love to hear what you guys think! I'll try and update at the very least once a week but hopefully more often. Please review! 3**


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